The storm "Christine," which struck Portugal overnight, has caused the death of at least four people in the Lisbon area and in the central part of the country, according to updated data from rescue services, cited by Agence France-Presse.
Among the first casualties was a man from a suburb of Lisbon, whose car was crushed by a tree uprooted by the strong wind. A second man died in the district of Leiria after a "metal structure" fell on him, the civil protection announced in its initial report.
Later, the National Civil Protection Service reported two more victims in the municipality of Leiria.
The passage of the storm "Christine" was accompanied by heavy rains and wind gusts of up to 150 km/h, which led to significant damage, especially in the Lisbon area and in the central parts of the country.
The storm has felled and uprooted trees, caused damage to infrastructure, and caused floods, said Daniela Fraga, deputy head of national operations at the National Civil Protection Service. According to her, around 3,000 incidents were registered by mid-day.
"Due to the scale of the phenomenon, it will take some time before the final extent of the damage can be determined," she said.
In the early hours of this morning, nearly 850,000 households or public institutions were left without electricity, and this number decreased during the day.
Many roads were closed or partially impassable, including the main highway that connects Lisbon with the northern part of the country, and rail transport was also disrupted in some places. Several municipalities have decided to close schools, AFP points out.